Welcome to the last installment of our hunger and satiety series. In the three previous blog posts, we discussed the beneficial role that protein, fibre, and healthy fats have on satiety. Making sure that you eat a balanced amount of all of these macronutrients can not only reduce hunger, but ideally keep you feeling satisfied much longer.
However, despite your best attempts at balancing this all out, there are some things that can sabotage your efforts that you should also consider when trying to control hunger and satiety:
Liquids. Yes, liquids. Think of it logically. What will digest quicker: Calories from a fluid or calories from a solid meal? Liquids are already broken down and easily digestible, whereas your body has to put in more effort and energy to break down solid food. It’s a no brainer when you look at it this way. Avoid getting too many calories from what you drink because those calories are never as filling as the calories you get from food!
Liquids. Again. Yes, you read that right! If you’ve thought about drinking a ton of liquid to help curb your appetite, think again! You may have a temporary feeling of fullness when filling your stomach with a large amount of liquid (not to mention a frequent urge to pee), but this is a fleeting feeling. Liquids alone will not keep you feeling full and satisfied. If anything, you may end up feeling more hungry later in the day, which can lead to other problematic eating (such as consuming larger portions or snacking unnecessarily).
Simple carbohydrates (we’re looking at you, sugar!). There are two main types--natural and added sugars. Natural sugars are mainly found in fruits (in the form of fructose) and dairy (in the form of lactose). In contrast, added sugars are just that--sugars that are added to foods during processing, cooking, or just prior to consumption (such as table sugar added to your coffee). Typically, foods containing natural sugars also have other nutritious and filling properties, such as fibre in fruit and protein/fat in dairy (which make them a better choice overall).
Processed foods. Often calorie laden options, with poor nutritional bang for your buck, limiting highly processed foods as much as possible is ideal. Oftentimes, these are choices that are low in fibre, very high in fat (and not the good kinds of fat), and absent or limited protein, processed foods are not the best options when trying to curb hunger and maintain adequate satiety.
So, there you have it! Our four part series on hunger and satiety is over, and we hope you are now full of knowledge! We touched upon how different aspects of nutrition and diet can either optimize or impair satiety. We hope this information serves you well.
Until next time, bon appétit!
Adam, Sarah and Stephanie